TPATB - Chapter I

Chapter I – Forbidden Love, First Kiss.

**5 years later.**

At one night, the people in Himil Town below were celebrating a recent victory in the Great War. In the middle of Himil Town stands a huge palace. The palace of King Alexander, Queen Catherina & their 24 year old Princess Jessie, their only child and therefore the heir to the throne. While the people are celebrating down below, Jessie laid on her bed as she gazed out the window into the sky, covered with stars. The music from the streets was soft but loud enough for her to hear and the beautiful and calm melodies that entertained the guests, wandered up and filled her bedroom with sweet music. Even though she should be celebrating with them, she really wasn't in the mood. It wasn't that she didn't want to... it was mainly because she didn't really support the war. She didn't really see the point of all this bloodshed. This whole war started because the two Kingdom's overreacted over a hunting incident. She did admit that what the Emperor of Halja did was brutal but still... The whole thing could been solved diplomatically and without the need for bloodshed. Now it was just battle after battle after battle with no end in sight. All that Jessie ever wanted was for the war to end. She had once pleaded to her father to start negotiating with the Emperor, but King Alexander said that Vulcan would not stop until his people were enslaved and the Kingdom made his. He had to fight on for their Kingdom's sake.

Jessie may be a Himil Princess, the daughter of the King who declared the war, but she couldn't stand the violence and death. Hearing the cries of wives and children for their dead husbands, fathers and brothers. She was afraid that every time, that her father would go to fight in a battle, she would never see him again. She moved her hand onto her neck, where there's 2 necklaces hanging on. One necklace was from her mother. She got this when Jessie became 20 years. A special royal necklace, made out of silver and 4 green gems were placed into it. Queen Catherina told her that this necklace was very valuable and very old. It has been passed on through generations for centuries long. When a Prince or Princess of Himil become 20 years, the father or mother of that child passes on the royal necklace, and Jessie was the new owner of it.  

The other necklace was, on the other hand, a homemade one. 2 white seashells with the shape of a heart, hanging on a green piece of string. The shells are able to open and close, and also to hold pictures inside. Jessie leaned up and looked into the shell-necklace. Inside, there's a picture. One of herself, when she was 10 years old, together with her mother and father. But what her parents didn't know, was that there's a secret photo hidden underneath it. She gently removes her family-picture and revealed another one. A boy was smiling upon the photo. A boy that Jessie has met long ago, just before the entire war began. She smiled and thought of the time of how she met… him…

**Flashback.**

The day, just before the war began, all the people lived together in harmony… Jessie, who was 19 years old and sneaked out of the palace once again and dressed up like a normal girl, wandered around into the forest, until she heard a sound behind her. She looked through the bushes and saw a grasshopper. Jessie totally love those bugs, to chase them and capture them, but also to release it and chase it all over again. She follows the grasshopper into a field, full of grains. The grasshopper jumped and jumped further away, until it stopped for a moment. There was another grasshopper next to the one that Jessie chased. Jessie jumped to catch it and missed, but at the same time, a boy tried to catch the other grasshopper and missed too. They both stood up again, and just stared at each other. "What a beautiful girl.", the boy thought. "Waauw, this boy is cute.", Jessie thought. Then both of them snapped back into reality when a grasshopper jumped at front of them. Jessie runs after it again and the boy did the same thing. "Hey, that's my grasshopper!", the boy said. "I saw it first!", Jessie replied and laughed. The boy laughed and both of them went chasing the grasshopper, until it got out of sight. Jessie and the boy split apart to search… Jessie found the grasshopper and lowered down to jump upon it. She jumps and missed… but the boy stood there at the same time and Jessie jumped by accident upon him.

Both of them fell onto the ground and rolled down of the hill… Until they both smacked on a grassy area, with a apple-tree that was blooming. They were dizzy, but then, both of them realise of what position they were. The boy was laying on top of Jessie… He stared at her and she stared back at him, both with blushed faces. The boy started to laugh, "You're clumsy, you know that?". Jessie started to laugh as well, "OH, I am not! And uh… Do you mind?". "Hehe, sorry.", he laughed and got of her. He sat and leaned against the tree, "What's your name?", he asked. Jessie leaned to the tree as well and thought of how to introduce herself to him. She decided not to tell him that she's a princess and simply said, "I'm Jessie. And you?". "I'm Byrne.", he said and smiled. The entire afternoon, Jessie & Byrne talked and laughed, until the sun was setting. They told a lot of things to each other, but Jessie kept the princess-stuff and her royal family-business to herself. For once, she wanted to be a normal person, instead of a royal princess, and now she's having the chance for it. "I had a great time, Byrne. Thank you for that.", Jessie said. "Me too.", Byrne replied, "Too bad that this day passed by quickly.". "Yeah…", Jessie said and stared at the sunset, "…Will I see you again?". Byrne looked at her, "I'm sure of it. I hope it soon, I love being here.". "What's that suppose to mean?", Jessie said with a laugh.

Byrne smiled at her, "I mean… I love being here… With you, Jessie." Jessie looked back at Byrne and blushed, "What…?", she said. "Did anyone said how beautiful you are in the colours of the sunset?", he said. "N-no… No one said that… You think I'm beautiful?", she asked while she put her hand on her chest. Byrne placed his hand upon her other hand and hold his grip upon it, "You're more than that…", he moved his head closer to her face, "You're… perfect…". "Byrne…", Jessie said, "Do you believe in love at first sight?", she asked. "I do… I'm having it now… And I can see it from you too…" Suddenly he pressed his lips against hers. Jessie was surprised of his action, but she closed her eyes and kissed Byrne back. They hold onto the kiss... "So this is how a first kiss feels like.", Jessie thought in her head, "Love at first sight… I've never thought of this would happen to me, and I've never felled this happy before… ".

Byrne slowly broke the kiss and he put his hands behind his neck. He unlocks a necklace, with 2 seashells on it. Byrne moves his hands behind Jessie and locks the necklace onto her neck. "Here, take it, Jessie. It's yours now.", Byrne said. "What? Why are you giving me this?", Jessie asked. "I'm giving you this, because I want you to have it.", Byrne smiled, "Keep it as a memory of me. And also, there's a picture of myself in it, so you can keep staring at it all the time.". Jessie laughed, "Oh, Byrne.", and she gave Byrne a friendly tag on his shoulder. "… Thank you… I don't have anything for you, except…", Jessie said and she took a ring off her finger. "Here, take it.", she said and took Byrne's left hand. She put her ring on his forefinger, "It suit you well.", Jessie smiled. Byrne moved his hand to look better at the ring. The ring was made out of silver and the stone was shaped like a leaf. The colour of the stone was Lemon-green. "Keep it, it will bring you good luck, like it was with me today.", Jessie smiled again. "Thank you, Jessie…", Byrne said. Then both of them heard a horn… "Oh, that's my father's horn.", Byrne said, "It means that I got to come home. Will I see you here again, tomorrow?". "Of course, Byrne. Same time?", Jessie asked. "Same time.", Byrne said and stood up.

Jessie stood up as well, "Byrne, just one more thing…", she said. "What is it?", Byrne asked, but soon enough, his question has been answered. Jessie pressed her lips against his one more time and they both hold on to it. Jessie slowly broke the kiss, "I'll see you tomorrow, Byrne.", she said. Byrne smiled, "I'll miss you.". Jessie smiled too, "I'll miss you too.". Then both of them heard the horn again, "I really have to go.", Byrne said and let go of Jessie, "Bye, Jessie! See ya tomorrow!", he said and waved at her, while he's running to his home. "Bye, Byrne! Bye!!", Jessie said and waved back at him, until he was out of sight. Jessie sat down again and she never felled this great before. But then, her smile vanished from her face and she looked sad. "This will never work out…", she thought, "… He's a normal boy, and I'm a… princess… And princesses can't get married with an average guy, it has to be somebody with royal blood, a prince… Byrne will figure it out sooner or later about me…", Jessie sighed, "Those stupid laws and rules!", she thought again and stood up.

"Then this will be a "forbidden" love… "

To Be Continued…